Space agencies worldwide implement and execute space polices decided by politicians. Two of those agencies are of special interest to our community and will be detailed in this seminar; ESA and SNSA (Rymdstyrelsen). These agencies are governed by formal rules such as the ESA convention and the instructions for SNSA, but there are many aspects that are up to the agencies and their stakeholders to adjust as needed to be at the forefront of science and technology. Everyone involved in space science should have at least basic knowledge about the formal and informal decision making processes of space agencies, in particular for science funding.